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A review by dinipandareads
Up All Night: 13 Stories Between Sunset and Sunrise by Laura Silverman
4.0
Special thanks to Algonquin Young Readers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4/5 stars
To say I went into this anthology with a little trepidation would be an understatement as I generally don't have a good track record with the anthologies that I've tried. This is definitely more of a 'me' thing as I tend to have difficulties connecting with or getting into short stories. That's why it was such a delightful surprise when I found myself really enjoying all of the stories in this collection! There were a few that were "just okay" and didn't leave a big impression on me, but there were more that I really liked and even loved, and none that I gave less than 3/5 stars to (and no matter what you think, 3/5 is *not* a bad rating). Many of these authors are still on my TBR but I'm now even more excited to pick up their books as soon as I can!
Up All Night is a wonderful collection of inclusive and diverse stories with rich LGBTQ+, disability, and POC representation. The stories were also from a good mix of genres including contemporary, romance, light SFF (superheroes!), thriller/mysteries, and horror. They ranged from uplifting and heartwarming, to heartbreaking and achingly bittersweet, and even to the chillingly spooky, but all were tied together with themes of love, friendship, family, and coming-of-age. I found myself experiencing strong bouts of nostalgia as most of these stories are set in the final year(s) of high school when the air is charged with that electric feeling of change and possibility that makes you feel brave enough to take chances—it's simultaneously nauseating and thrilling and those feelings really came through in the stories. That feeling was also compounded by the stories being set in the night-to-dawn hours when possibilities not only feel endless but the world even feels a little bit more magical.
Individual story ratings:
- Never Have I Ever: 4/5 (CW/TW: murder)
- Like Before: 3.5/5
- Old Rifts and Snow Drifts: 4/5
- Con Nights, Parallel Hearts: 5/5 (CW/TW: mentions of parental abuse—physical and sexual)
- Kiss the Boy: 4.5/5
- Creature Capture: 4/5
- Shark Bait: 3/5 (CW/TW: racist slur, infidelity, car accident)
- A Place to Start: 3/5
- When You Bring A Dog to Prom: 3.5/5
- Missing: 4.5/5
- What About Your Friends: 3.5/5 (CW/TW: racism, bigotry)
- Under Our Masks: 5/5
- The Ghosts of Goon Creek: 3.5/5
Out of the 13 stories, my favourites were: "Con Nights, Parallel Hearts", "Under Our Masks", "Kiss the Boy", and "Missing". Ha, trust me, The Ultimate Chicken™️, to end up liking the spookiest story in the collection!
To say I went into this anthology with a little trepidation would be an understatement as I generally don't have a good track record with the anthologies that I've tried. This is definitely more of a 'me' thing as I tend to have difficulties connecting with or getting into short stories. That's why it was such a delightful surprise when I found myself really enjoying all of the stories in this collection! There were a few that were "just okay" and didn't leave a big impression on me, but there were more that I really liked and even loved, and none that I gave less than 3/5 stars to (and no matter what you think, 3/5 is *not* a bad rating). Many of these authors are still on my TBR but I'm now even more excited to pick up their books as soon as I can!
Up All Night is a wonderful collection of inclusive and diverse stories with rich LGBTQ+, disability, and POC representation. The stories were also from a good mix of genres including contemporary, romance, light SFF (superheroes!), thriller/mysteries, and horror. They ranged from uplifting and heartwarming, to heartbreaking and achingly bittersweet, and even to the chillingly spooky, but all were tied together with themes of love, friendship, family, and coming-of-age. I found myself experiencing strong bouts of nostalgia as most of these stories are set in the final year(s) of high school when the air is charged with that electric feeling of change and possibility that makes you feel brave enough to take chances—it's simultaneously nauseating and thrilling and those feelings really came through in the stories. That feeling was also compounded by the stories being set in the night-to-dawn hours when possibilities not only feel endless but the world even feels a little bit more magical.
Individual story ratings:
- Never Have I Ever: 4/5 (CW/TW: murder)
- Like Before: 3.5/5
- Old Rifts and Snow Drifts: 4/5
- Con Nights, Parallel Hearts: 5/5 (CW/TW: mentions of parental abuse—physical and sexual)
- Kiss the Boy: 4.5/5
- Creature Capture: 4/5
- Shark Bait: 3/5 (CW/TW: racist slur, infidelity, car accident)
- A Place to Start: 3/5
- When You Bring A Dog to Prom: 3.5/5
- Missing: 4.5/5
- What About Your Friends: 3.5/5 (CW/TW: racism, bigotry)
- Under Our Masks: 5/5
- The Ghosts of Goon Creek: 3.5/5
Out of the 13 stories, my favourites were: "Con Nights, Parallel Hearts", "Under Our Masks", "Kiss the Boy", and "Missing". Ha, trust me, The Ultimate Chicken™️, to end up liking the spookiest story in the collection!